Hazelwood residents weigh in on redevelopment strategy
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Hazelwood residents, Pittsburgh planning officials and consultants met Thursday to work on the Greater Hazelwood Neighborhood Plan, the community’s set of guidelines on revitalization.
The meeting, the third since October, was an open house at the Spartan Community Center in Hazelwood, where residents saw a draft of the “Our Hands Our Plan” redevelopment strategy. Residents asked consultants, city officials and neighborhood leaders about the details of the plan and provided input that will be used for a final version to be unveiled later this year. The draft comes as Almono LP — a conglomerate of Pittsburgh foundations — begins to develop Hazelwood Green, the largest piece of undeveloped land in the city.
“With new development underway at Hazelwood Green, the challenge is to establish a neighborhood plan as a tool to build wealth within all of Greater Hazelwood,” the draft states.
The strategy divides Greater Hazelwood into five zones for redevelopment. Each zone is a specific part of the neighborhood and provides an approach for brickand-mortar renewal. It also addresses issues such as sustainability and conservation, art and culture,land use and transportation.
Consultants at the Chicagobased group Gensler worked with city officials, foundation leaders and community members to author the draft. Andre Brumfield, principal in charge of planning and urban design at Gensler, said the consultants were challenged to come up with a plan that suits the community’s needs while including the economic realities of redevelopment.
“How can a neighborhood retain its spirit and identity as market forces put pressure on it?” Mr. Brumfield said.
Danielle Davis, a Hazelwood business owner, has been attending meetings like these in Hazelwood for many years. She said it was challenging to make sure neighbors understood the details of the plan and organize gatherings that allowed as many people as possible to provide their perspective. Development leaders plan to add input from Thursday’s meeting into a final version that will be presented later to the city.
“I’m glad it’s over,” Ms. Davis said. “Now it’s our voice, our plan.”